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Comments by MatsWinther
Secutor Chess
. Introducing the Secutor piece, and new collision-capture, on a Gustavian board (zrf available).[All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating] Murmillo Chess. Introducing the Murmillo piece, and new collision-capture, on a Gustavian board (zrf available).[All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]I wrote an article about the bifurcation pieces which I posted to the editors. You can also find it on the following link. There is a chart of all the different pieces and their properties. In the images below one would like the new pieces to be placed on the extra squares, but in these cases the strategical variety is much better with this placement. http://hem.passagen.se/melki9/bifurcation.htm
Oxybeles Chess. Introducing the exceptional Oxybeles piece, which can hurl pieces over its head, on a Gustavian board (zrf available).[All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]Claudio, that the rooks only lose their castling rights if moving by their own accord is not illogical, but the truth is that I didn't code for this event because it doesn't occur often. So this rule is of no real consequence. Concerning the evaluation of the piece, I am not certain if it's correct. I have studied computer-generated games, and I've removed two light pieces on the one side, and the two Oxybeles/Mangonels on the other side. The resultant struggle was even, so I concluded that these new pieces are equal to the light pieces. These new catapult pieces are slow, moving one square at a time, is a factor that lessens their value. Moreover, their hurling capability is something that benefits *other* pieces, so one could argue that all pieces gets stronger this way, also the king. Therefore the relative values are retained, and the catapult's value remains low. Had the catapult's value been higher, then it could not expose itself to other pieces, and then it would remain useless. The catapult must position itself to be of any value. The Mangonel's tactical capability is impressing, but perhaps the Oxybeles is the more serious piece. The Mangonel is perhaps a little over the top, but this is just a first impression. /Mats
Gala 
. Historical German variant from the Middle Ages.[All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]As I understand the rules, the Kampa (pawn) should be able to move in all directions after the first move, not only on the diagonals. Then it becomes too weak(?). I have also implemented Gala in Zillions here: http://hem.passagen.se/melki9/gala.htm However, I have followed the rules employed by the German enthusiasts exactly, and added some variants. But it's good to have yet another implementation, to try out variant rules. But the Kampa rule in this implementation is incorrect, I think. /Mats
Well, Mr. Mayer probably thinks it's a nice page, because I've implemented his reconstruction (he has been very helpful). But how authentic are these rules? I don't know what sources he has. It seems difficult to win sometimes so, in a variant, I added the lone king rule (from Shatranj). But I haven't investigated it thoroughly. The 'holy center' rule seems authentic (it's similar to hnefatafl), but other variants could be tried, for instance: a piece is allowed to enter the centre provided that he leaves in the next move. Michael's version is different in some important aspects. The only way is to play games and see which variants are the best.
Belfry Chess (deleted). Missing description (10x8, Cells: 68) [All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]It's only four, Turret, Belfry, Oxybeles, and Mangonel. I have experimented with other forms of catapults that can sling a piece *over* other pieces (similar to cannons) but haven't found a satisfactory piece yet. I don't think I'm going to invent more catapults, so there's no real need for an overview. /Mats
Korean Chess. Korean Chess: presentation plus a strong Zillions implementation.[All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]Is it, or is it not allowed to pass a move whenever you want in Korean Chess, or are you only allowed to pass when you can't move a piece (that's how I implemented it). The scarce sources on the Internet seem to say different things.
I decided that *it is* allowed to pass a move whenever you want. I tested a DOS program downloadable from the Internet (jangki.zip). This program is written by the Korean Hak Jong Lee, and I assume that he knows the correct rules. In this game, pass is allowed all the time. However, the English rules file, provided with the zip-file, says that pass is only allowed if no other move available. The rules file is written by Roleigh Martin, and I assume that he got it wrong. If I'm right, then the following article must be corrected: http://www.chessvariants.org/oriental.dir/koreanchess.html Those interested ought to download my Zillions implementation again, because I have altered the pass rule. Korean Chess seems less 'populistic' than Chinese Chess, which is much about mating the king. In Korean Chess play occurs over the whole board, and games take longer to play. It's more strategical, it seems.
In Stewart Culin's 'Korean Games With Notes on the Corresponding Games of China and Japan' he says: 'The king on the losing side is allowed yet another privilege. If he is the only piece on his side, and if his moving would greatly endanger him, he is allowed, as the equivalent of a move, to turn over and remain in his original position.' So passing is only allowed if the king is the only remaining piece. This is even stricter than Roleigh Martin's rules. So now I don't know what to believe. /Mats
I chose to implement Roleigh Martin's rule as alternative variants (uploaded just now). It's frustrating that there exists no book about openings and endgames, etc, in this noble game. Somebody in this community ought to take upon himself to research this game and write a book. /Mats
In his Encyclopedia of Chess Variants, 1994, David Pritchard briefly tells that: 'A player may pass his turn, hence no stalemate or zugzwang.' (p.164). In his article 'Janggi Addenda', Abstract Games 15, Autumn 2003, Malcolm Maynard writes: 'Passing turns. It was not mentioned in the article that in Janggi, players *can* pass their turn, unlike in other forms of Chess. The official rule of the Korean Janggi Association is that players may pass their turns at any time. However, since a player would normally pass a turn to avoid being forced into moving into a losing position, many players interpret the rule to allow a player to pass only to avoid checkmate or stalemate. (Thanx to Mr. Michaelsen).
Janggi - 장기 - Korean Chess. The variant of chess played in Korea. (9x10, Cells: 90) (Recognized!)[All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]According to Wurman ('Chinesisches Schach, Koreanisches Schach', 1991), Maynard ('Janggi Addenda', Abstract Games 15, Autumn 2003), and Pritchard (Encyclopedia of Chess Variants, 1994), a player can pass at any time, which means that rule 7c above is wrong.
Wildebeest Chess. Variant on an 10 by 11 board with extra jumping pieces. (11x10, Cells: 110) (Recognized!)[All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]Cazaux's Zillions implementation of Wildebeest Chess has a bug: when a pawn makes a triplicate step, an opponent pawn cannot capture 'en passant' if the bypassing pawn ends up on the rank behind. http://www.chessvariants.com/programs.dir/zillions/wildebeest.zip http://www.chessvariants.com/programs.dir/zillions/cazauxchess.zip Moreover, Cazaux's implementation of Bolyar Chess (in casauxchess.zip) doesn't seem to follow the rules that appear on the Internet, and which I have recently implemented. Cazaux gives no source for his version of the rules. Instead Omega Chess is described. My Bolyar Chess: http://hem.passagen.se/melki9/bolyarchess.htm /Mats
Hiashatar . Mongolian Great Chess played on a 10x10 board with a pair of Bodyguard pieces per side.[All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]I have now implemented Mongolian Hiashatar in Zillions. The Bodyguard piece is very interesting. I have assumed that the bodyguard can only stymie the movement of enemy pieces. If it could also stymie the movement of friendly pieces, then the game would become awkward. http://hem.passagen.se/melki9/hiashatar.htm /Mats
ProCycle Chess. Individual pieces promote one by level after each played move.[All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]Too much going on. It's an uproar on the chessboard. For instance, you could allow the pawns to promote only when they reach the 6th rank. /Mats
The pawn could also turn into a 'stone', which is immobile. The stone is then turned into a knight by lifting and dropping. The queen could also turn into a stone. This solution would calm things down. /Mats
Bodyguard Chess. A 9x9 variant, with a Bodyguard and two Kwaggas per side (zrf available).[All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]Charles, they are actually on the diagram (striped horses). I strongly suspect that it's possible, in any big-board variant, to add Kwaggas in exchange for the knights. In some cases the game might become more attractive while the Kwagga seems always to have the same value, more or less, as a bishop. This means that they can be exchanged. Sometimes the knight seems to play a retiring role. Adding Kwaggas would change this. I will probably add Kwaggas to Mastodon Chess. I wonder how this extinct species would fare in all those popular Capablanca variants. /Mats
David, I don't know, but I think not, because the Kwagga cannot gain tempo. This it has in common with the knight. It is easy for a bishop to gain tempo (or lose a move, if you will), and this is why bishop and knight can give mate, together with a king. However, a Kwagga cannot possibly give mate together with a bishop if the Kwagga moves on the same square colour as a bishop(?). By the way, I have now implemented Kwaggas as second variant in Mastodon Chess (10x10). http://hem.passagen.se/melki9/mastodon.htm In this way one can compare the Kwagga's properties with the knight's, and see how it affects the game. /Mats
Vietnamese Chess . Each player has a King, which captures cannon-style, and 11 non-capturing Pawns on a 25-intersection Alquerque-style board.[All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]This implementation of 'Vietnamese Chess' doesn't work. White immediately loses. Does anybody know the correct rules? /Mats
HP-minichess. Small chess variant that could be played against a pocket calculator. (5x5, Cells: 25) [All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]This is included in the small chess variants among the Zillions standard games (that are freeware and comes with the download). /Mats
The 'Orphic Chess' Java applet follows the wrong rules. Pieces on the board should only be able to move if they can capture, or if the king has already been placed. These faulty rules makes the game useless. It is imperative that the correct rules are implemented, otherwise these chess variant applets function only as disinformation. People will think that Orphic Chess is crap if they play this applet. At least, I would wish that my name be removed from the applet because it misrepresents my variant. http://www.pathguy.com/chess/OrphicCh.htm
If I search for an external link item, for instance, 'Orphic Chess', then the search engine doesn't find it although it exists on the CV pages.
Like I've already pointed out, when performing a google search on chess variants pages an item is not found. However, when searching for the same item on google globally, the item *is* found on the chess variants pages. Go here... http://www.chessvariants.org/Gindex.html and search for 'chess256' on chess variants pages only. Item is not found. Change to global search. Item is found! Something is wrong. /Mats
ChessV. Program for playing numerous Chess variants against your PC.[All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]It gets better and better. Please consider adding Chess256 to v1.0. Of course. everybody cannot expect to have their personal variants added, but this one is rather easy to implement, and it is a good training concept for 'orthodox' chess players who have no help from opening theory from the first move, while the positions are very similar to normal chess. http://hem.passagen.se/melki9/randompawn.htm /Mats
Chess programs, like Deep Fritz, have recourse to immense opening and endgame databases. So why don't the human opponents have this resource? It's not a fair fight. /Mats
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